There was another guy important in all this. He was in the bar with Dave. It wasn't Lenny's creator, the mad writer slowly drifting into obscurity. Nor was it Dave. It was the bartender. His friends called him Pete. For a long time he worked in a small town bar. Skips, he pulled the taps and poured beers. Before that he cleaned the tables and took out the trash. There were regulars, and all sorts. Some liked to talk some just wanted to sit in silence. Some would order one beer, some would start a tab and say keep them coming. Pete lived just out side of
Westcity
to be more exact east of it. He liked that about himself, and would say on occasion "When I lived out East".
He didn't go to college, but was always so close to a college he felt like he went there. Sometimes he said he went to West. At parties, kids at the college would ask him specifics in response, what class he was in, what dorm he stayed out, he'd been around long enough to make something up. Now he was older, kids wouldn't believe him. He'd grown to like that about himself too.
Not that he was cocky, Pete knew he wasn't everyone's cup of tea. He liked though not having to lie anymore. He hated that, after the parties, he didn't like pretending to be someone else. Sure a few times he made out with a girl, but it made him feel like a parasite. He liked that about himself now, he didn't lie.
